MLB Player News

Giants catcher Buster Posey gets a break from behind the plate on Sunday. Posey will instead start at first base for the final game before the All Star Break. 

It's Posey's 21st start at first this season. Andrew Susac replaces him at catcher. 

Regular first baseman Brandon Belt shifts to left for Sunday's game for the ninth time this year. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen waited until the very last moment to extend his current hitting streak on Saturday. McCutchen, who walked three times, went 1 for 4 and crushed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Pirates the 6-5 win over the Cardinals.

It was the fifth walk-off home run in McCutchen's career, and the first this season. McCutchen has homered twice in his last three games, and he has 12 overall this season.

The longball extended McCutchen's hitting streak to 18 games.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper hit his 26th home run of the season in the 7-4 win over the Orioles on Saturday. Harper's solo blast cut the Orioles lead to 4-3, as the Nationals earned the come-from-behind victory.

It was Harper's only hit of the game, but he's batting a very impressive .341 on the year. He is particularly hot at the plate right now, going 10 for 29 with two home runs in nine games this month.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon stayed hot on Saturday, as he went 3 for 4 in the 3-2 win over the Braves. Blackmon scored on Carlos Gonzalez's first-inning home run, and later hit his fifth triple of the season.

Blackmon has been on fire so far in July, batting .366 (15 for 41) with two doubles, two triples and a homer through 10 games this month.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter had one hit in three at-bats on Friday, but the hit was good for a two-run home run. Carpenter's homer gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the third inning, but it wouldn't hold, as the Pirates would come back to win 5-2.

The home run was Carpenter's ninth of the season, but he had gone 41 games in between longballs. 

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 4 in the 5-2 win over the Cardinals on Friday, pushing his hitting streak up to 17 games. 

The All-Star and former MVP has hit safely in every game since June 21. 

Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler was the only starting position player to get a hit in Friday's shutout loss to the White Sox. 

The Cubs managed just three hits in the game: Soler's single,one by the pitcher, and one by a pinch hitter.

Soler has four hits in his last three games. 

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter will bat leadoff against the Pirates on Friday despite his recente struggles at the plate.

Carpenter is hitting just .164 in his last 18 games.

Pirates slugger Andrew McCutchen has not slugged in his career against Lance Lynn, who starts against his team Friday night for St. Louis.

McCutchen owns a .132 lifetime average (5-for-38) against Lynn with no home runs and just one RBI.

Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter got the scoring started in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Pirates. Carpenter laced a two-run single into right field, giving St. Louis the early 2-0 advantage. 

Overall, Carpenter went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored. Carpenter needed a game like this, as he has been struggling at the dish recently. In 10 games (nine starts) this month, Carpenter is batting .200 with four RBI and four runs scored.